Bear Digest

Sticking to Middle Rounds for Safety Is Best for Bears

A need for someone to play alongside safety Eddie Jackson who isn't a one-year fill-in could get the Bears hunting for someone in the draft but it's likely to be middle rounds or later.
Gene Chamberlain|
Sticking to Middle Rounds for Safety Is Best for Bears
Sticking to Middle Rounds for Safety Is Best for Bears

Since their last trip to the Super Bowl, the only safeties the Bears have drafted higher than the fourth round were Brandon Hardin, Major Wright and Chris Conte.

These are not names likely to be discussed for enshrinement in Canton any time soon.

Conte has played a long time but not in Chicago, and his biggest Bears play was giving up the TD pass to cost them a division title against Green Bay in 2013. Wright had a seven-year NFL career and his most memorable hit might have been one in an end zone collision which helped end the career of teammate Brian Urlacher.

Hardin never played in an NFL game.

So maybe Ryan Pace has it right when he sticks to the middle rounds for his safeties. Pace was able to get Eddie Jackson, Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston-Carson and Adrian Amos in Rounds 4-6.

Unless it's the next Jamal Adams, the talent level for the better safeties is similar because of what's required of the position.

Last year's safety class was heralded for its top-end talent and none went in Round 1. Antoine Winfield Jr. was the top safety taken and had an excellent rookie season as Tampa Bay's second-round pick. Washington's seventh-round safety Kamren Curl made three interceptions, two more than Winfield, and had one less tackle (63). Curl made as many interceptions as L'Jarius Sneed and Jordan Fuller, two safeties also taken after Round 3 last year who had nice rookie seasons.

The Bears have been playing rent-a-safety in free agency the past two years with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Tashaun Gipson alongside Jackson, but possibly the best way to settle this issue could be for Pace to play his middle-round safety card.

There are plenty of potential safeties in this draft for rounds 3-5. Trevon Moehrig of TCU is the consensus top safety, receiving a first-round grade from FanNation's NFL Draft Bible, Mel Kiper and Walterfootball.com. After this, order depends on the style of play and person judging the talent.

Here are the top safeties who could be available to the Bears in Round 2 or later, when their defensive needs are more likely to be addressed.

Richie Grant, Central Florida

Could be a bit bigger at 6-foot, 194, and scouts would like more straight-line speed from him but he plays at a rapid rate and tackles well. He made 10 career interceptions and broke up 17 passes. The measurables at pro days will be important for determining his draft slot. Mel Kiper has him as the fifth-best safety and NFL Draft Bible labels him a potential second-round pick as a free safety.

Paris Ford, Pitt

A 6-foot, 190-pound free safety who has displayed good closing speed in the past and had six interceptions the last two seasons. Despite his size, he seems to crave contact and delivers big blows. But he is better suited to staying out of the box for the sake of self-preservation. Several scouts have noted how he even though he hits hard he doesn't wrap up well on tackles and is more into the shoulder hit. It can be dangerous against bigger, faster NFL players. He was given a fourth-round free safety grade by NFL Draft Bible, and is Kiper's eighth overall safety.

Caden Sterns, Texas

Ideal size and sufficient speed for an NFL safety at 6-1, 205 but hasn't jumped out for his tackling or hitting ability. He is viewed as a free safety who needs to be better at providing run support. He was slowed by a painful turf toe injury last year and played in just seven games. He had five career interceptions but four of those came in 2018. Sixth-best safety on Kiper's board and for NFL Draft Bible a fourth-round free safety.

Jevon Holland, Oregon

Holland opted out last year after nine interceptions and 10 pass defenses the previous two seasons. Decent NFL size at 6-1, 201 but his coverage and athletic abilities are so refined that Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings projects he could be turned into a slot cornerback by some teams. He is viewed as a capable run defender but has no one outstanding trait largely because he is solid across the board. Kiper's second-best safety overall, although NFL Draft Bible seems less convinced and fixed a sixth-round grade to him at free safety.

Andre Cisco, Syracuse

A bit undersized at 6-foot, 194 but speedy and full of play-making ability as more of a free safety. At least he had the speed before a ridiculous knee injury suffered in pregame last year ended his season after two games. He had 12 interceptions his first two seasons and one last year before the knee injury, so there is much concern over where he'll be health-wise when the draft is held. He still drew the best free safety tag from NFL Draft Bible.

Richard LeCounte, Georgia

A proven free safety type who needs to get a bit stronger at 5-11, 190, he made eight career interceptions and 10 pass defenses for the Bulldogs. He showed a real knack for play making with six fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. He also missed a bit of playing time after suffering a concussion in an off-field situation. He had an accident while riding a motorcycle last October. Given a third-round grade by NFL Draft Bible as a free safety, he is Kiper's seventh overall safety.

Talanoa Hufanga

A true strong safety from a school with tradition at safety, Hufanga is 6-1, 215 and made four interceptions to go with eight pass defenses. He lacks the range and ability to close from distance that a free safety might have but is outstanding in close quarters and extremely capable of dominating tight ends in coverage. His 40 time will be watched closely at the pro day. He's also a good hitter and strong in run support. Kiper's third overall safety, he has a fifth-round grade at strong safety by NFL Draft Bible.

Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State

Nasirildeen has mutant size for a safety at 6-4, 220 and some think he might fit betteer at linebacker as a result. However, with four interceptions, nine pass defenses and three forced fumbles he would be a better box safety candidate. There are questions about his speed which need answering because he suffered a torn ACL in 2019. He did seem fine when he was at the Senior Bowl. He was actually used as free safety much of the time but moved occasionally to strong safety and slot corner, as well as off-ball linebacker and a few times deployed as an edge rusher. Kiper's ninth-best overall safety, he has a fourth-round grade at strong safety from NFL Draft Bible.

Ar'Darius Washington, TCU

Moehrig's sidekick in the Horned Frogs secondary, he exploded with five interceptions in 2019 but then the big plays stopped last season as a reshirt sophomore. There are real questions about his NFL ability because he is tiny at 5-8, 178 and it causes him to be kept off some scouts' consideration. But his speed and hitting ability on film are not disputed. He has shown a great instinct for playing the ball in zone but is a red-zone liability due to his height. NFL Draft Bible gave him a fourth-round free safety grade but he's not on Kiper's board for top 10 overall safeties.

Damar Hamlin, Pitt

Ford's sidekick in the secondary, he's 6-1, 195 and very polished in pass coverage. Scouts have called him a potential slot cover prospect because he's so adept in coverage and making plays on the ball with six interceptions and 21 pass defenses. The reasons his coverage skills are so refined is he started out as a cornerback and switched. He had an injury past, missing 13 games in 2016 and 17 with three surgeries for a core muscle injury but has come back strong. Kiper's 10th best safety and has been rated as a seventh-round pick by NFL Draft Bible, which regards him as a strong safety.

Tyree Gillespie, Missouri

An NFL caliber player who may need to start out backing up and playing special teams, according to several scouting reports. He has good NFL size at 6-foot, 207, but his speed hasn't convinced anyone yet and he's viewed by some as a pure box safety who is a solid tackler and could be put to use on coverage teams. He never made an interception and had 12 pass defenses but came up with 146 career tackles. NFL Draft Bible is convinced he's a strong safety candidate and fixed a third-round grade but he asn't on Kiper's list.

Israel Mukuamu

The type of player who jumps out because of his size, and many view him as a cornerback with a high ceiling who could develop into a starter there or at safety. He is 6-foot-4, 205 and uses long arms well in coverage. He has been playing cornerback and Kiper ranks him with cornerbacks but because he has shown willingness to tackle and is effective enough, NFL Draft Bible labeled him its fourth best strong safety candidate and a fifth-round pick. The wide range of opinion is going to make for an interesting draft day for him. He made seven interceptions and 10 pass defenses.

READ: NFL Draft Bible's Monday Mock Draft 

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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